Airplane jack and supporting system



y' 1941 A R. G. STOEHR 2,240,724

AIRPLANE JACK AND SUPPORTING SYSTEM Original Filed May 29, 19402Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; wfiazzaalmzzr May 6, 1941. R. G. STOEHRAIRPLANE JACK AND SUPPORTING SYS TEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May29, 1940 Patented May 6, i941 UNETED sr Es PATENT- ieE 2,240,724.AIRPLANE raox AND SUPPORTING srsrmiu Rolla G. Stoehr, Chatliam, Ontario,Canada, as-

signor to- Weaver Manufacturing Company, Springfield, 111., acorporation of Illinois Original application May 29, 1940, Serial No.337,763. Divided and this application Decembin-21,1940,SerialNo.371,125

,3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for raising and lowering airplanes andcomparable structures and to companion and cooperating means formaintaining .the airplane, or the like, in such elevated servicing andrepairing relation, thus allowing the jack-means employed for suchlifting to be removed and used elsewhere, it being understood that thereverse of such procedure is resorted to for the lowering of theairplane.

Such invention comprises a. system of devices coasting and conjointlyfunctioning with one another to produce the desired results in a simple,satisfactory and efficient manner by means particularly adapted toperform the stated functions.

To enable those skilled in this art to fully understand the instantinvention, present preferred Some airplane-wings are capable of beingraised and lowered solely through small, short, downwardly-directed,comically-pointed pins or studs IOI permanently mounted in or on the1mderside's of the wings, as presented for instance a in Figure 1, and,accordingly, each such wing must be elevated and lowered solely byengagement with its specified stud.

The jack used for this purposeis illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4,and it comprises an upright, hydraulic-cylinder a2 mounted ondownwardly-diverging legs 503, N3, each fitted with embodiments thereofhave been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, and to which reference should be had in connectionwith the following detailed description, and, for simplicity, like,reference numerals have been employed to designate the some structuralparts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In these drawings: a

Figure 1 illustrates a portion only of a win of the airplane in raisedposition by means of one of the novel wing-jacks;

Figure 2 shows fragmentarily and in vertical section the transfer-memberadapted to cooperate either with the jack or with the supportingtrestle;

Figure 3 shows the members presented in Figure 1 in association-with awing-trestle for transfer of the weight of the wing from the jack to thetrestle or the reverse;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the interfitted wing-jack andwing-trestle shown in Figure 3 on line 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5illustrates another means for lifting and lowering a wing of anairplane; and

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section on line 0-6 of Figure 5. v

Assuming that suitable jack-meanshave been provided for raising andlowering the tail and fuselage portions of an airplane, it will be clearthat its wings should be elevated and lowered either simultaneouslywithsuch operation or prior, or subsequent, thereto, it being apparent thatordinarily both wings of the plane should be raised or letdown more orless simultaneously and equally, one only'of the pair of jacks andtrestles employed for this purpose being illustrated and describedbelow.

upward extension of the shaft beyond the top end of the plunger isreadily and fairly-quickly adjustable to meet different workingconditions.

The top end of the shaft is designed to fit in a socket in the underside of a transfer-member I09 having an intermediate, circular,outstanding flange H0 and also having in its upper end a conical-socketIII shaped, designed and adapt- 4 ed to receive the stud IOI of theairplane-wing.

Such Jack having been placed beneath the wing of the airplane with itsscrew-threaded shaft I01 and the member I00 in alignment with the stud IM of the airplane-wing, nut I08 is turned to elevate the shaft causingthe end of member. I09 to receive and accommodate the wing-stud.

If need be, or if desirable, the plunger may be forced up by actuationof the handle I 06 to assist in bringing the jack and stud into thespecified coactive'reiation.

Then the'jack-handle is operated to force the plunger upwardly to raisethe Wing to the needed height. 7

The wing-trestle I00 for supporting the wing after the latter has beenthus elevated (Figures 3 and 4), includes four, downwardly-divergent,suitably-braced, automatic-caster-wheelequipped legs H2, H2 sustainingan upper, suitably-shaped, fiat-top supporting-member II3 having anopen-side, open-top, open-bottom cavity I I4, the latter being ofadequate caliber to receive the upper end of the jack-screw I01 and thelower end portion of member I09, the

cavity also having a demountable or detachable retaining-pin H5occupying registered, horizon- V of the screw I01 on which such memberis mount-'- ed, whereupon the pin H5 is put back in place to preventaccidental displacement of the asso-' ciatedappliances.

Subsequently, the Jack is lowered to transfer member I09 to, and forsupport on, the wing-tres-' tle and to effect withdrawal of thescrew-shaft from the socket of such member, upon the completion of whichaction the jacl; may he rolled away for other use. I

Obviously, when the mane-wing is to be lowered, the reverse of theabove-stated operation is pursued.

In some cases, the airplane-wings are not equipped with suchsupporting-studs 8M and then a different means is used as indicated inFigures 5 andfi.

Under such circumstances, the screw-shaft of the wing-Jack fits at itstop end in a socket in the under side of a member E26 having a round,

outstanding flange its corresponding to the flange lid of member use.

A frame iii is hinged to member 323 at a point l22 about midway thelength of the frame, the latter, by means of end-slots therethroughproviding a pair of spaced-apart side-walls 523,.1323 with top,marginal, inwardly-directed flanges 52%, E2 3 along the end portionsoniy of the frame, the middle section of such frame not being thusslotted.

Each end of the frame isv supplied with a grooved block H25, theopposite grooves of which receive the flanges i2 3, 5243, so that theblocks are adjustable along the frame, and each such slidable member 825has hinged thereto at its middle at 526 a member or shoe i2l faced withsuitable material I28 of a character or type which will not injure thewing i2 of the airplane with which it is adapted to directly contact.

The manner in which the jack and its modified saddle are operated andthe procedure by which the support of the wing is transferred to andfromthe wing-trestle Nit will be readily understood from what precedes, itbeing clear that, by

reason of the hinged mounting of the parts, such saddle willautomatically accommodate itself to airplane-wings of different. sizesand varying shapes.

Those acquainted with this art will understand "that the invention isnot necessarily limited to the May 29, 1940. v

I claim:

1. In an airplane-wing 'lifting, lowering and supporting system, thecombination of transfer-means designed to engage the underside of theairplane-wing, a lifting and lowering lack adapted to carry saidtransfer-means and to raise and to lower the wing thereby, and asupportingr trestle adapted to be placed in cooperative relation withsaid transfer-means in its elevated wing-supporting position and toreceive and to support said transfer-means upon lowering thereof by saidjack, the construction being such that said jack may he removed forother use upon its delivery oisaid transfer-means to said trestle, thereverse of said operations causing the lowering of said wing.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 in which said transfer-means has asociret in its upper end adapted to receive a downwardly-directed studon the under side of the airplane wing.

3. The system set forth in claim l in which said transfer-means includesa saddle hinged in.- termediate its ends and adapted to support theairplane-wing from its under side.

4. The system set forth in claim 1 in which said transfer-means has asaddle hinged inter mediate its ends and adapted to support the aplane-wing from its under side, said saddie hear each end thereof havinga shoe hinged intermcdh ate its ends to the saddle, said shoes engagingthe under-side oi the airplane-wing.

5. The system set forth in claim 1 in which said transfer-meanslhas asocket in its lower portion adapted to detachably receive a part 0 thejack.

6.The system set forth in claim 1 in which said trestle has a side-openrecess therein to receive at least a part of said transfer-means.

-7. The system set forth in claim 1 in which said trestle has aside-open recess therein to receive at least a part of saidtransfer-means, in combination with means to open and clos saidside-opening of said recess.

8.-The system set forth in claim 1 in which said transfer-means has anoutstanding flange adapted to bear on said trestle to support theairplane-wing thereon.

ROLLA G. STOEHR.

